Change Proposed for Who Polices the Macon Police | News

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Spurred by the deadly police shooting of a man outside a supermarket, some Macon council members want to take internal affairs investigations out of the hands of the Police Department.

They want the internal affairs division to report to the city's Chief Administrative Officer instead of the police chief.

City councilman Virgil Watkins says he's supporting the proposal "with hopes that it will bring greater accountability to avoid situations where we have officers missing court, being outright abusive with the system 15 to 20 times without any progressive discipline."

Watkins said the "catalyst" for the proposal is the fatal shooting of Sammie Davis Jr. by Officer Clayton Sutton outside a Kroger on December 21.

13WMAZ's open-records requests later revealed that Sutton had been disciplined more than a dozen times.

Sutton is now on paid administrative leave, usual practice for an officer involved in a shooting. The District Attorney is now deciding whether to seek criminal charges in the case.

Watkins says a few private citizens sit on the existing police review board used to determine discipline for police officers, but they don't have the power to vote on decisions. The proposal would change that.

Council members Elaine Lucas, James Timley and Henry Gibson also endorsed the proposal. Gibson is a retired police captain.

A council committee is expected to discuss the proposal in the next two weeks. If it passes, full council would likely vote on March 19.